Gracie said he was teaching in Suwon, South Korea last year when he experienced the fun of virtual reality at that country’s Everland theme park.

“It wasn’t anything crazy special,” said Gracie. “It was more or less a simulated rollercoaster but to me it felt very real. I couldn’t shake the feeling of it.”

When he wasn’t teaching at night, Gracie would spend his time working on a virtual reality business proposal, before returning to Cape Breton last summer.

Soulvaria officially opened it doors Sept. 16 on the third floor of the New Dawn Centre for Social Innovation on Nepean Street in north end Sydney.

The business is comprised of Gracie, Boutilier and employee Greg Michalik.

“You lose yourself,” said Gracie. “A lot of people when they first put on the virtual reality glasses — they don’t know what to expect — and then all of a sudden they gasp. They’re just blown away that they literally feel like they’re in another world.

“A lot of people have told me that they didn’t think the technology was here yet but it is. It actually has a growth pattern similar to the colour TV.”

Inside the blacklighted studio are air-conditioned spaces complete with surround sound that allow up to six people to play at one time.

Due to the highly interactive nature of some of the games, Soulvaria uses HTC Vive headsets that caution users with a green grid if they’re approaching a wall.

Currently, there are more than 50 games available at the centre, including experiences that take users underwater, into a zombie apocalypse, plunging down a rollercoaster or into a frightful horror experience. There are also popular shooter games and co-operative multi-player gaming.

Virtual reality rental fees are based on a time limit, beginning with half-hour sessions.

“We have no business experience,” said Gracie. “I’ve never taken a business course and (Boutilier)’s not taken any university course. I do have sociology behind me at Cape Breton University but in regards to business, though, nothing. We had to literally learn everything via Google and it took a long time.”

Gracie and Boutilier had written out a detailed business plan, along with some market research analysis before approaching the bank with their proposal.

One of the hardest parts of getting the business off the ground, said Gracie, was trying to find an up-to-date space that was reasonable on rent.

The business partners are now hopeful that Soulvaria will be used by school groups as they believe virtual reality technology is the future of entertainment, education and social interaction.

For more information on the business, including its operating hours, visit https://www.soulvaria.ca/home.